


Feelings

by Haru D Nae (Anaelita)



Series: Around the Grand Line [17]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Buggy's unexpectedly sweet, Canon Compliant, Deal With It, Feelings, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Canon, Questions, So there you go, Talking, Teenagers sailing with the Pirate King, because I wanted some, did someone ask for fluff, needed some
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 05:11:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11639598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaelita/pseuds/Haru%20D%20Nae
Summary: Shanks thinks about his friendship with Buggy.





	Feelings

Shanks likes being in the open sea, the wind's fresh salty scent and its feeling in his hair. He's proud of travelling aboard the Oro Jackson, being a pirate apprentice under none other than the Pirate King, and the rest of the crewmates are simply awesome.

Then there's Buggy.

Buggy likes being a pirate too, though it's not for the same reasons, and Shanks respects that. They both have hopes of becoming great pirates one day and even if they part ways, they'll still be friends, after all they're nakama. Shanks smiles at the thought, tilting his head up to watch Buggy across the busy galley.

The blue-haired boy laughs at someone's joke, Shanks couldn't hear it and he doesn't care. Buggy's laughing and it's just too cute to bother about anything else. The redhead blushes and ducks his head even though noone saw him, he's been thinking about Buggy being cute an awful lot lately.

Not that it's _bad_ to think such things, it's just.. weird... or more accurately, new. They found Buggy shortly after Shanks joined the crew so the two boys bonded quickly, being assigned the same bunk probably helped in that matter. Since then they've always worked together, fought together... gotten into trouble together, too, most of the time. Granted, there's noone else around his age on the ship so it's best if they get along well, but still. Buggy has always been Shanks's best friend.

The thing is, Shanks wonders if there could be more to their friendship than just this... it goes back to when they started to sleep together, he remembers waking up a morning cuddling Buggy and feeling the inexplicable urge to kiss him. He almost did, and finally settled for sleeping a bit more, deciding he was too hazed to think clearly. Another morning, he was wide awake and gave in, chastely kissing Buggy's forehead and relishing in the little smile he earned. Sometimes he just runs a hand through Buggy's hair, along his arm, watching him sleep and the weirdest thing ever happens – his stomach flutters.

Shanks feels himself blushing again, goddamn butterflies making him dizzy once more, and he doesn't know why he feels so stupid and cheesy, nor why it only happens around Buggy. He just likes being in his company, hearing him talk and he likes his hair too. They're soft but he can't tell Buggy, otherwise he'll get a punch or something. Shanks also loves riling him up, that's true, but he never crosses the line : never makes fun of Buggy's nose, never has, never will – and he kinda wants to kiss Buggy's nose too. He coughs and tries to appear as normal as possible when a strong hand gently pats his back.

"You okay, kid ? Need some water ?", asks a mildly worried Rayleigh.

The redhead offers an awkward smile, "N-no, not at all."

"You seemed lost in thought, what's eating at you ?"

Shanks grunts. "Nothing important."

"Come on, you can tell me anything", the Dark King presses, showing a hint of a smile.

The cabin boy pouts, "You're going to say it's stupid."

"I promise I won't."

Shanks hums thoughtfully for a while, and he decides the First Mate might not be the worst person to talk to after all. "Alright." He takes a deep breath. "Is it... normal to want to know someone... more ?"

Rayleigh raises an eyebrow, his glasses slightly slipping down his nose, "I... guess, when it comes to friends and otherwise pleasant acquaintances." He smirks when he adds, "Someone in particular in mind ?"

Shanks looks to the side. "Nope."

"Why is that bothering you that much then ?"

"What if it's... someone I know already, someone I... care for and it's normal I do, like family. Is it still normal to want more ?"

"Family, huh ? Then... it's people you love. And it's perfectly normal to want to know more about them, to spend more time with them, care about them and so on. That's why it's called _love_."

Shanks blinks, silently processing the sentence and trying to make sense out of it and his previous train of thoughts.

Rayleigh frankly smiles as he asks, "Cat got your tongue ?"

Shanks looks wide-eyed at him and sputters, "N-no ! At all ! No cat."

The Dark King's deep laugh echoes in the galley, earning a few questioning looks from the rest of the crew.

Shanks ducks his head between his hunched shoulders, hoping to remain unnoticed.

Another pat on the back, then, "It's alright, kid, you're just about old enough to have your first flings."

Shanks's face is just as red as his hair as he answers, "Am not !"

This time a few crewmates join in the laughter.

The redhead furiously pouts, "That's not funny. You're all making fun of me because you yourselves are lonely."

A few strangled noises come from drinking crewmembers, and Rayleigh raises his hands in defense, "I plead guilty."

Shanks sighs in defeat, "Great, thanks for the help."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay", Shanks interrupts him, "I'll just go to bed and think about it later."

Brooding over the little humiliation, he leaves for his bunk but tosses and turns once in his bed, unable to find sleep, overthinking Rayleigh's words, _it's called love_.

When he hears Buggy coming in he pretends to sleep, not moving an inch and slowing down his breathing until it's peaceful enough to trick his friend.

"Stupid redhead."

Oh, classical Buggy. Insulting Shanks for no reason. Probably still fed up about the "clown face incident" or someth- wait... Buggy's climbing into Shanks's bunk. The older teen feels a body wriggling to get comfy against his. He tries to help as much as possible without appearing awake, confused when he hears a satisfied sigh next to him.

"I don't want you to have a fling."

Shanks's heart skips a beat.

"If so you'll go sleep with them and I'd rather keep you as pillow", comes the explanation, muffled against Shanks's shirt as Buggy tightens his arm around the redhead's waist.

Shanks fakes a snore to conceal the breath he didn't notice he was holding.

Buggy huffs and adjusts his position.

Shanks feels his younger friend getting heavier in his arms, his breathing evening. As he falls asleep too, he idly thinks, _maybe it is, then_ , and doesn't hear his friend's last mumbled word.

"Mine."


End file.
